[Avodah] Eilu Veilu

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, May 30, 2025 at 03:04:21PM +0300, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote:
> Multiple Truths-The Ritva (Eruvin 13b) brought in the name of the French
> Sages: HKBH showed Moshe 49 ways to rule pure and 49 ways to rule impure
> for each and every matter. When Moshe asked how to know the practical
> ruling, the Holy One answered that this is entrusted to the Jewish Sages of
> each generation.

I argued that the Ran also holds of this. It's hard to tell, because in
Derashah 3 he is definitely using the word "emes" ambiguously to mean
both the "true" in the sense of corresponding to reality and "true" law.

He seems to be saying that Hashem gave multiple paths to Him, and sometimes
the one that captures more metaphysical Truth isn't the best path.

If somoene wants to check my take on it, I am basing myself on what the
Ran writes starting here:
https://www.sefaria.org/Derashot_HaRan.3.23

> One Truth -- Nesivos HaMishpat implies there is only one true opinion.
> However, there is nevertheless real value in considering "false opinions"
> so as to refine/clarify correct opinion

The Maharal writes in Be'eir haGolah 1:6
<https://www.sefaria.org/Be'er_HaGolah%2C_Well_1.6>,
that Eilu vaEilu is literal, because Hashem's Emes cannot fit in this
world, and therefore Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel each capture aspects
of a larger Truth that is beyond us.

In the past, I used the mashal of 2 dimansional beings trying to understand
a cube. One person sees it face on, and sees a square. Another, facing
a corner, sees a hexagon. Since more people identify with the perspective
that yeilds a square, we act as though it's a square. Even though that
only captures one face of the Truth, whereas the hexagon includes 3!

(And certianly one cannot pick elements of one or the other, and follow
a practice that doesn't fit either silluette. There'd be no correlation
to the original cube anymore!)

> Might it be that the question of whether timtum halev is still a concern
> even when eating bheter (eg pikuach nefesh) might be part of the same
> debate (e.g One truth means it will still harm you)?Bsorot tovot

Could be... Also related is whether the food through metaphysical
causality is metameim es haleiv, or the act of sinning through food
which does so. Qabbalah vs. "Rationalism".

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 We are great, and our foibles are great,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   and therefore our troubles are great --
Author: Widen Your Tent      but our consolations will also be great.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                      - Rabbi AY Kook